Key won't turn in 1990 Aerostar

[nopeda]

I want to replace the lock cylinder which apparently I should have already done but now the key won't turn at all and the wheel is locked in place, so I can't turn the key to the run position in order to remove it. Is there some way of working around that?

Thank you for any help!
David

[Stealthee]

Is the steering wheel locked? Try pulling down and rocking the steering wheel while turning the key.

[aleekat]

Have you tried a spare key?

[nopeda]

Originally Posted by aleekat

Have you tried a spare key?

Well...no... Thanks for the suggestion! That might be enough to get it in position.

[65comet]

I'm not familiar with that model steering wheel. But many Ford's have a small plastic plug on the steering column above the lock cylinder. If the plug is pried out a screwdriver can then be pressed down on a shift lock button below it to relieve any shifter tension against the lock cylinder.

[nopeda]

Originally Posted by 65comet

I'm not familiar with that model steering wheel. But many Ford's have a small plastic plug on the steering column above the lock cylinder. If the plug is pried out a screwdriver can then be pressed down on a shift lock button below it to relieve any shifter tension against the lock cylinder.

Thank you but it doesn't have anything above the cylinder, and there's no hole below it either.

[nopeda]

Originally Posted by Stealthee

Is the steering wheel locked? Try pulling down and rocking the steering wheel while turning the key.

Thank you I did try that. And tried again, and again, and again, and again....and tried with different spare keys as aleekat suggested, and again, and again, and again.... And I haven't been able to find a single thing anywhere that discusses replacing the key lock cylinder in a 1990 Aerostar, much less how to do it when the key won't turn and you can't put it in run. I thought I'd find a LOT of places where people are explaining it, but instead I can't find one.

[aleekat]

Maybe this:

http://workshop-manuals.com/ford/aer...eering_column/

[65comet]

This video shows about all the ways I've attacked bad cylinders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcBuOn7d6I

[nopeda]

Originally Posted by 65comet

This video shows about all the ways I've attacked bad cylinders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcBuOn7d6I

Thank you! I used the guy's suggestion to tap the key in with a hammer and after that wiggled the steering wheel and got it to go into run postion, then depressed the pin and got the old cylinder out. The new one seemed to go in okay but wouldn't turn to the lock position. It seemed to go to run and start positions so I reconnected the battery and tried to start it, hoping then I could turn the wheels enough to have full motion of the new cylinder. But nooooo! It would go to run positon and the lights came on, but would not go to start position. I was able to get the new cylinder back out and looked in the hole it fits into in the steering column. There's a rectangular indentation where the end of the lock cylinder goes so I tried turning it with a screwdriver. It's locked up and will not budge. So now what? Does that mean there's something else screwed up in addition to the old lock cylinder problem? Do I now have to try to take the entire steering column apart, and maybe a lot more than that too?